


The Best Hugs

by PrimaryFeather



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Big Brother, CPR, Chocobos, Death, Doesn't always work, Fix-It, Fluff, Friendship, Gambling, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Racing, Status Effects
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2018-12-07 13:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11624610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrimaryFeather/pseuds/PrimaryFeather
Summary: FFXV Kinkmeme Prompt: Gladio gives really good hugs.   Started as a one shot, but it won't let go of my brain.Each chapter is a stand alone piece about Gladiolus giving someone a hug.  I've played fast and loose with the definition of hug in a few of these, and all situations are meant to be gen, but if you want to squint and read more into it, you're welcome to.A total of five chapters, this is a 4+1 kind of deal, or four times Gladiolus gave a hug, and one time he got hugged.  Mostly canon compliant with any changes kept small.Teen rating is for salty language and unhappy depictions of disaster zones.





	1. Iris

As they approached the hotel in Lestallum, the ground shook and Noctis swayed as he was assaulted by flashing visions, each accompanied by a wave of pain.

“Whoa, did you just feel that?” Prompto braced against the movement.

“You mean the earthquake?” Gladiolus scanned the buildings around them for a place to take cover but the shaking was minor, and fading.

Noctis shook his head, raising a hand to press against his right eye with a surprised grunt. “What’s wrong?” Ignis looked to his prince, concern colouring his voice. Surprised, the other two turned back to find out what was happening.

“Nng… my head just started throbbing.” He shook it slightly to clear it, looking up at the other three,

Prompto frowned “You alright?” 

The last of the tremors faded, and the throbbing with it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s just get to the hotel and meet Iris.” Noctis pushed forward, resolutely ignoring the last of the ache. 

The lobby was well appointed, gleaming hardwoods, rich carpets and polished brass. The young man behind the counter looked up as they entered, and gave a cool, professional smile. “Good evening, gentlemen. May I be of service?” His eyes flicked quickly between them before settling on Ignis.

Noctis gave a huff of relief. They had deliberately changed out of the Crownsguard wear and into casual clothes before entering town, and it seemed to have worked. Being recognized as the ‘dead’ prince would be complicated right now. He dropped his head and rubbed at the back of his neck absently while he listened to Ignis request the concierge call up to the Amicita room for Iris. A peek from under lowered lashes showed Prompto was already distracted, staring through his camera’s viewfinder at something to do with the architecture while Gladiolus stood, feet planted and arms crossed, eyes firmly on the staircase.

It wasn’t long at all before she came down the stairs, a little too fast to be casual. “Gladdy!” She stopped and waved at them all, before skipping the last few steps and turning towards them. 

“Iris.” Noctis stumbled as Gladiolus brushed past him but didn’t stop. He crossed the lobby in three large steps.

“Look at you g…wha? Gladdy!” Iris exclaimed in surprise as her brother met her, and reached down. She automatically lifted her arms and placed them around his neck as he caught her up. She felt her feet leave the ground as he straightened and pulled her in tight against his chest, his head dropping down to hide his face in her shoulder and just, stopped.

There was a long moment of silence, the other three not sure where to look and not wanting to say anything to interrupt the private moment between brother and sister. Prompto shifted uncomfortably and looked side to side, half raising his camera before Ignis put a hand on his arm and gently pushed it back down with a small shake of his head. 

The moment stretched on, and Iris’ legs twitched a little and her voice was a bit breathy. “Um, Gladdy? You’re hurting me…. It’s too tight.” Noctis could see the muscles in Gladiolus’ back shift under the tanktop as he relaxed his grip slightly, but made no move to do anything else. Not put Iris down, nor raise his head from her shoulder. The prince watched her expression shift to slightly annoyed, but there was something underneath it that made him uncomfortable and he glanced away. The concierge had discreetly disappeared he noted, and the doors to the street were closed unlike when they arrived. Other than their party, the lobby was empty.

“Aren’t you going to put me down?” Noctis looked back when Iris spoke again, seeing her shift her legs again as if searching for solid ground, but there was at least 18 inches between the soles of her shoes and the floor. 

“No.” Gladiolus’ voice was still muffled by her neck as one arm shifted to around her waist to support her weight, and the other pressed between her shoulder blades, rubbing small circles. 

Noctis was looking at her face over his Shield’s shoulder as whatever it was underneath her expression started to overpower her. This time, he found he couldn’t look away as her smile began to crumble slowly, collapsing in on itself as her eyes grew wet, and her lower lip began to tremble. He was forcibly reminded that she was just fifteen, and his wasn’t the only world destroyed in a night.

“G….gladio?” her voice wavered. Instead of trying to escape him and create some space, now her arms tightened around his neck. “Daddy’s dead.” the two words came out breathy and small, dragged out of her as the tears began to track down her cheeks. 

His grip on her didn't change, although the muscles across his back twitched and flexed like he wanted to crush her closer again. Eventually his shoulders heaved and he sucked in a huge breath, like he was trying to breath for both of them. His voice when he spoke was a low rumble, more felt than heard. “I know Bug, I know.” 

He didn’t tell her it was ok, or everything would be alright. He didn’t voice any platitudes, nor did he tell her it was the will of the Six. Instead he held her there in the lobby of the fanciest hotel in Lestallum as his baby sister fell apart in his arms. 

Finally, he raised his head from her shoulder and turned to face the others. His eyes were dry but red, and Noctis thought he looked as if he’d aged thirty years since entering the lobby. “I’m going to take her up to her room. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” Without waiting for an answer, he shifted his grip and slid an arm under her knees, cradling her close as he turned again and ascended the stairs while she sobbed into his chest.


	2. Ignis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you hug someone as reserved and careful of his dignity as Ignis? 
> 
> Daemonic interference helps.

The fight was going about as well as could be expected, given that they’d had no warning at all that the thing was lurking between the caves they’d been exploring and the Regalia, parked distressingly far away under the comforting spotlights near the road.   Gladiolus was pretty sure it was a daemon and not anything natural, but it was dark and it was fast, and while the physical attacks were nothing particularly concerning and easy to parry or block, it seemed that that wasn’t the creature’s primary offensive ability.

 

“Gladio, don’t step on Prom!  He’s been frogged!”  Noctis disappeared in a flash of blue light, only to reappear behind whatever it was, the ghostly axe in his hands already moving in a vicious overhand blow.  The crunch as it landed was surprisingly wet, and whatever the hell it was shrieked.  “Ignis!  Instructions!”

 

“Glarbul fafth canta astry!”  Ignis called in return, from directly behind Gladiolus’ left shoulder.  As the gibberish registered Gladiolus swore and tucked into a forward roll away from the adviser, and felt more than heard a lance impact the spot he had been standing.

 

“Iggy’s out of his head, down to two of us Noct!”  he shifted his grip on the greatsword to his right hand only, and summoned a teardrop shield with his left.  Fast movement caught his eye, and he lifted the shield in front of him and braced.  The impact of whatever-the-hell-it-was drove air out of Gladiolus’ lungs with a grunt. 

 

Dropping the sword he tucked himself entirely behind the shield as the monster slavered, gibbered and howled at him, trying to get around the barrier to claw and rend and tear. He felt the weight of it pull on his arm and realized it was attempting to climb over.  Digging his feet deep into the mud and loam Gladiolus charged forward, carrying the monster on his shield as it roared its surprise.  The roar cut off with a much less dignified squawk as he found a tree and set his shoulder into keeping it sandwiched there. “Noct, hit it!”

 

Another flash of blue light and like Titan’s avalanche Noctis came down from directly overhead.  A foot touched the top edge of the shield and Gladiolus’ abandoned greatsword slammed into it, bisecting it entirely.

 

It was absolutely a daemon.   Once killed it began to rot and dissolve into the disgusting black liquid and vapor they were entirely too familiar with.  Noctis straightened and sidestepped the miasma, looking around now the fight was over.   “Prom, Specs?  You guys doing ok now?” 

 

They both heard a croaking from the other side of the clearing, and it appeared Ignis was trying to climb a tree.  “The hell?  I thought this was supposed to wear off when we flatten the thing.”  Gladiolus ran a hand through his hair in confusion.

 

“It’s absolutely supposed to wear off when you kill the source.  What do we-“

 

Ignis whirled towards the sound of their voices and stared at them blankly for a moment.  Then in a move neither of them expected, he bolted into the darkness at a dead run.

 

“Shit!  Noct, find Froggy and get to the lights by the car before anything else shows up, I’ve got Iggy.” Gladiolus didn’t wait for acknowledgement and sprinted after the adviser.  

 

Crashing through the underbrush and trying to keep Ignis’ jacket light in sight, he was certainly reminded Ignis was faster than him. It was only the fact his mind was clouded and he changed directions nearly at random that let Gladiolus keep up.  The only good thing that could be said for it was that while he heard several daemons begin to pull themselves from the ether as they came into range, by the time they’d fully manifested both humans were well beyond reach.

 

“Six damnit Iggy, stop running!”   Gladiolus did his best to cut corners where he could, but the unpredictable path Ignis was taking made it difficult and it took longer than he wanted to get into a position to stop the headlong flight. Finally, Ignis slowed while mumbling to himself.  Gladiolus didn’t. 

 

Dropping a shoulder, he tackled Ignis around the waist and rolling both of them through bush.  Daggers flashed into existence, and Gladiolus found himself thrashing around to keep Ignis from burying one in his liver.  Right hand wrapped around Ignis’ wrist he threw out a silent apology and _squeezed._

Even through the confusion the discomfort flashed across Ignis face and his hand spasmed open, the dagger dissipating back into the ether as it left his fingers.  Opening his mouth more gibberish came out and Gladiolus groaned.  If the tackle and nearly breaking his wrist didn’t work, punching him probably wouldn’t either.

 

“Alright Iggy, we need to move, we hang out here in the bushes much longer and the gossips are gonna start talking.”  Gladiolus heaved Ignis onto his feet, twisting the arm he held behind his back and fisting his other hand in the back of the adviser’s collar.  “Don’t suppose you were paying attention on the way out.  Any idea which way back to the car?”

 

“Gafberbal.”

 

“That’s what I thought.”  Gladiolus looked around.  Two things immediately leapt out at him.   The first was the luminescent smoke of a haven off to his left.  The second was a Red Giant pulling itself out of the earth about a hundred feet to his right.  “Ok, left it is.  Double time it Iggy, we really don’t want to stick around here.”

 

Gladiolus frogmarched Ignis through the brush as quickly as he dared, trying to simultaneously watch where they were going and keep an eye on the daemon behind them. It had definitely spotted them; as it pulled it’s right foot free from the ground it turned and began to lumber in their direction.  “Three’s a crowd ugly, piss off.” 

 

“Aaashna kidfrpph!”

 

“You tell ‘im Iggy.”  It was awkward and fraught with the rising tension of the Red Giant gaining on them, and Gladiolus sent a quick thank you to the Six that Giants were slow at the best of times.  The last few steps were more hurried than careful, but fortune finally smiled on them and Ignis seemed inclined to go in the direction Gladiolus was manhandling him.  The odd tingle raising the hair on his arms that signaled crossing the havens border came as a relief as he heard the Giant behind him begin to draw back it’s arm in preparation to strike.

 

He’d never admit it, but he flinched as the daemon roared it’s frustration as they disappeared from sight. That was cutting it fine.  He glanced over his shoulder, and nearly lost his grip on Ignis.   Apparently not seeing them wasn’t enough to discourage this particular Giant.  It’s sword impacted on the haven’s boundary about a foot from Gladiolus’ nose.  The night flashed a brilliant blue, and the sword rebounded with a sound like all the bells in Insomnia had been struck at once.  The Giant was launched backwards by the haven and Gladiolus scrambled towards the centre of it, dragging Ignis with him.

 

“Ifrit’s burning asshole that was close!”  he watched the Giant clamber back to his feet, and turn away slowly to trudge back to where it had first spawned.

 

Ignis made a noise that could have been agreement, or could have been fascination with the central ring of the haven.  Gladiolus managed to convince him to sit by the ring, and reached into his pocket for something to distract him for a few minutes.  The best he could come up with was a handful of the coins he occasionally found when scavenging, and with a shrug he scattered them across the stone before the adviser.  Ignis immediately began collecting them, and carefully arranging them into stacks. “There we go.  You can’t handle a mess even when you’re like this, can you?”

 

Gladiolus kept a watchful eye on Ignis, and swiped Noctis’ number on his phone.  As soon as he heard it pick up he asked “You two make it to the car?”

 

“Gladio!  Where are you?  Did you catch Specs?”  Noctis sounded tense.

 

“We’re safe.  Got him to a haven a ways out.  Don’t recognize it; I don’t think we’ve camped here before.  How’s Prom?”

 

“Still all green and hoppy.  I went through the kits and can’t find any Maiden’s Kiss packed away.  Do you have any on you?”

 

“No, went through the last of my curatives in that cave.  Damn… that mean there’s no Smelling Salts either?”

 

“ ‘Fraid not.”

 

“OK, new plan. Hold on a second.”  Gladiolus stabbed the speaker button on his phone and dropped it to the ground before lunging across the haven at Ignis who was making another attempt at running away.  “Not this time Iggy!” 

 

They went down in a tangle of limbs.  Ignis thrashed wildly but Gladiolus shifted smoothly around him, sliding away from the wild swings and slipping behind Ignis.  He rolled onto his back, one leg wrapping around Ignis’ waist tightly, tucking his foot behind the knee of his other leg for a body lock and trapping Ignis’ arms by crossing them over his chest and holding them in place.   With Ignis immobilized, he raised his voice.  “Still there, Princess?”

 

“What.  The hell.  Was that?”  Noctis didn’t sound amused but it was hard to tell through the tinny sound of the phone speaker.

 

“Iggy wanted to go make some friends but they’re a bunch of jerks, so I asked him to stay put.  Look Noct, I think you’re gonna have to take Prom and make a run for town.  Whatever’s wrong with them isn’t fixing itself like it should so we need those curatives.”

 

“Can you two get back to the car?  I don’t like splitting like this.” 

 

“Probably not ‘till dawn.  We woke up every daemon between the clearing and here on the way through the first time and I can’t fight and ride herd on him at the same time.  Even if we did make it back what the hell would we do with Iggy in the car, stuff him in the trunk?  It’d be nothing but stewed tripe and toast for supper from now until the end of Eos if we did that to him.  Take Prom and go.  Once you get him unfrogged, bring back some salts for Iggy and we’ll make him cook us breakfast.”

 

“If you’re sure you’ll be ok.”

 

“Seriously, get moving.  We’re good here.  Campfire songs, marshmellows, I’ll tell him about that book I picked up in Lestellum.  End call.”  The phone chirped as it hung itself up.

 

Gladiolus sighed and leaned his head back against the rock underneath him.  “Just you and me Iggy.” He shifted to counter Ignis’ attempt to wriggle free of the hold.  “It’s gonna be a long night.”

 

“No biting!”

 

“Knocked your glasses loose huh?  Teach you to try and headbutt me… don’t worry I put them somewhere safe they won’t get wrecked.”

 

“… and the author’s got a theory about Rogue Queen Stellae that’s pretty interesting.  The official records don’t say anything beyond her being the younger sister, but he’s convinced she was actually born on the wrong side of the blankets.  Sure she’s got Caleum blood but…”

 

“ _Shiva’s tits,_ Ignis, if you elbow me in the junk one more time and I swear to the Six I won’t just let you loose, I’ll feed you to the first damned daemon we see.”

 

“Ok, that was a body lock or a figure-four hold and I’m keeping your arms locked in place with wrist control, but I’m losing feeling in that leg and this does you no good on the breathing.  Time to switch it up a bit.  Now this is a ‘full nelson’…”

 

“Daemons be damned Ignis, I should have dragged you back to the car and stuffed you head first into that trunk.  Then Noct could have dealt with you, and I’d fix Prom.”

 

*~*

 

It was the sun that woke Ignis.   He could feel the first warmth on his cheeks, and his brow furrowed.  He was obviously outside, and they rarely slept under the stars even on good nights.  It wasn’t until he tried to sit up that he noticed the warm body behind him. 

 

“Easy Iggy, you just went down a half hour ago.  Let yourself sleep in for once.”  Gladiolus’ voice was the second shock, rough and tired like he’d been talking for hours.  Hands on Ignis’ wrists tightened firmly, holding him still.

 

“And why, pray tell, are we spooning?”  Ignis forced as much indignation into his voice as he could and tried to pull away again.

 

There was a long pause.  “You with us again Iggy?  What day is it?” 

 

“What do you mean ‘with you again?’ and  I haven’t seen the paper yet I’m… “Ignis trailed off, searching his memory.  “wait… I don’t remember camping last night.  We left those caves late, and were headed to the car.  There was something.”   A memory of long teeth and a face from nightmare flashed across his minds eye and he tried to surge upright again. This time Gladiolus let him go as he stared wildly around the haven. 

 

“Where are Noctis and Prompto?  Were they injured?”  He frowned and touched his face.  “Did I lose another pair of glasses?”

 

“Oh thank Shiva you’re back.”  Gladiolus groaned as he rolled away and sat up himself, stretching his arms over his head until both shoulders cracked.  “Noctis was fine after the fight, Prompto got himself turned into a frog and it whammied you too.  We killed tall, dark and scaly but neither of you recovered like normal after it died.” He levered himself to his feet and repeated the stretch.  "Your glasses are over there by my phone.” He gestured vaguely at the other side of the haven.  “Didn’t want them to get wrecked.  We got separated from the other two.  Noctis got Prom to the car and we ended up here with a Giant for company.”

 

“Noct and I talked it out on the phone.  Didn’t have any cures left for either you or him, so I sent them on ahead into town to pick some up and bring it back to us.  Wasn’t expecting you to snap out of it with the sun.  They should be back soon.”

 

Ignis slid his glasses into place while he thought about everything Gladiolus was telling him.   As he pondered it, flickering images kept popping into his head.  Running full tilt through the darkness, chased by something crashing on his heels.  Struggling against a monster wearing Gladio’s face that held him pinned to the bright runes of the haven, trying to escape into the safety of the surrounding woods.  Pushing his dagger forward with every erg of energy he had, trying to sink it to the hilt in the monster’s side.

 

“Whoa, easy there Iggy, you look a little green.  Don’t frog out on me.”  Gladiolus reached out to steady him as he swayed.

 

“Ah… did I try to… stab you?”

 

Gladiolus grinned.  “Which time?  There was with the lance during the fight, after I tackled you near the haven, and when you apparently disagreed with my assessment of the Annotated History of Queen Stellae the First.”

 

“Oh Six.  Gladiolus, please, accept my heartf-“

 

“No worries Iggy.  I threatened to stuff you in the trunk of the Regalia or feed you to a daemon, we’re good. C’mon we should make our way back to the road so they can find us.  Now that we’ve got some daylight it’ll be easier.”

 

They were most of the way back, retracing their steps when Gladiolus’ phone rang. “Yo.”

 

Prompto’s voice was loud and cheery.  “Hey big guy!  You and Iggy still chillin’ at the haven?”

 

“Nah, Iggy got better.  Sounds like you did too.  You guys close?” 

 

“Noct says it’s another 5 minutes.  Can’t wait to hear about Iggy shenanigans.  Hours under a confuse spell? I bet it was a riot.”

 

“Sorry to disappoint you kid, he fell asleep about 10 minutes after that phone call and slept the whole night through.  Didn’t wake up until morning, and he was fine then.”

 

“What?  That is so unfair! I spent all night trying to get out of that box while Noct looked for an open store.  Flies still sound tasty, do you have any idea how disgusting that is?  I hate bugs!”

 

Gladiolus chuckled. “See you two in a bit, we should be at the parking spot by the time you get there.”

 

After the phone call ended Ignis cleared his throat quietly.  “I didn’t sleep the whole night through.”

 

“Nope, but they don’t need to know that.” The silence stretched as they found the original clearing and turned towards the road.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Forgettaboutit.”  Gladiolus bumped him before dropping that arm across his shoulders companionably.

 

“Don’t push your luck.”

 

The arm dropped.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's two.
> 
> I'm thinking of tackling Prompto (no pun intended) next.
> 
> All mistakes are entirely my own.


	3. Prompto

Water.

He’d never fully appreciated just how devastating water could be. All those boring novels and poems and odes they’d had to read in school that had referenced the terrible power of the sea or the relentless hunger of the ocean suddenly had an immediacy and relevance he’d never imagined as he dodged forward into a roll to avoid yet another of Leviathan’s spawnlings as it darted down the thoroughfare, uprooting street lamps and breaking the few windows still intact.

Prompto had lost the lance engine he’d used to deliver Noctis to his fight with Leviathan two streets and three skirmishes ago as he desperately searched for Gladiolus and Ignis in the rubble. They’d managed to clear the bulk of the civilians out before things had gone entirely to shit, but Altissa had been home to so many people, with more travelling in to see Luna and petition the Oracle. Between the Hydrean waking up cranky and the Empire’s soldiers suddenly flipping to homicidal the orderly evacuation had disintegrated, much as the city was disintegrating under the god’s thrashing coils. 

The spawnling reached the end of the street and doubled back down it’s own length, apparently having realized that there was still a target it hadn’t drowned or flattened. Prompto reached into the ether, and pulled the Gravity Well from it before lining it up. Cid had been tinkering with while they hunted down some Mythral, and he hadn’t had a chance to use it before now. With a silent prayer to Five out of the Six Astrals that this one worked as well as the other weapons Cid had upgraded for them, he waited for the lock tone to sound and pulled the trigger.

The results were spectacular. The gravity point materialized directly in front of the spawnling which was moving too fast to stop or change direction and it poured into the singularity like it was diving back into the ocean. A wave of heat pulsed and the gravity well winked out of existence, leaving a perfectly clear sphere of ice about two feet across to drop to the cobblestones and roll into the gutter.

“Huh.” Prompto looked at the machine in his hands before a grin split his face. “I owe Cid a bottle of whatever he wants.” The gleeful thought was interrupted by a thin scream to the west, cut horribly short. Prompto took off at a sprint down a cross street towards the cry.

He rounded the corner and stopped short, mouth opening in horror. Two spawnlings were squabbling, a writing mass of water with heads and tails and fins surfacing and disappearing as they snapped and snarled at one another, tugging the small body caught in their coils this way and that like two dogs with a bone. The machine was the wrong tool for this and he dismissed it back into the ether with a thought, reaching instead for his pistols. 

Prompto announced his presence with a rolling thunder as he emptied the guns into the ball of water, each shot precisely placed for all that they were fractions of a second apart. With steamkettle shrieks the two unwound from each other and their victim and surged towards him. He stood his ground, using the mental trick Cor had drilled into him all those weeks ago to call more ammunition into his weapons before repeating the sequence. One of the spawnlings splashed into the street as it lost cohesion, and he spun to his left, deftly slipping out of the way of the other like a matador with a Bulette. Before it could reverse direction to come at him again, it joined the other washing the stones of the street. 

“Hey are you… oh no.” he turned to check on the person they’d been fighting over to find a huddle of cloth and limbs sprawled on the curb unmoving. Prompto crashed to his knees beside him, rolling him onto his back. Grey face and blue lips greeted him and the crushing realization that the person was younger even than Iris. “Nononono…”

Prompto scrambled through half remembered memories of CPR, cursing himself for glossing over that portion of his lessons in favor of the trauma recovery they required so often. Hands on the boy’s chest he started compressions, half singing an old song Cor had told him had the right tempo. He got four lines in before he realized he wasn’t counting as he should be and scrambled to blow two breaths of air into quiet lungs. 

Prompto’s world quickly narrowed to alternating compressions and breaths and trying to ignore the fatigue that worked its way into his arms. Conversely he was almost grateful for the sweat (he swore firmly to himself it was sweat) burning his eyes and making it difficult to see, and impossible to do more than look for chest movement in the tiny pause before switching activities. He didn’t know how long he’d been there when he when he was suddenly hauled bodily away.

Blindly he reached for a pistol and was shocked when a hand closed over his, forcing the gun up and away. The roaring in his ears receded (and when had it arrived to blot out sound?) and he could hear a familiar voice even as he struggled to bring the gun back down.

“Six damnit, Prompto, it’s Gladio! Quit trying to shoot me!”

“Gl..gladio?” Prompto shook his head to clear it. “Lemme go… can’t stop compressions until the healers get here, have to keep it up.”

Gladiolus swore softly. “Prom, the healers aren’t coming. We have to go.”

“No!! I’m not, I won’t…” Prompto started to struggle in earnest, attempting to wrench himself free. He stretched towards the boy, letting the gun fade away as he tried to escape.

Gladiolus let go of Prompto’s now empty hand and wrapped both arms around him. It wasn’t until Gladiolus physically turned them so Prompto couldn’t see the body any more that his struggles began to fade. “Shhhh. I know it’s rough Blondie, but he’s gone.” 

And just like that, Prompto flushed with rage. “No! You can’t know that! I’m not going to just walk away and let him die.” He managed to sink an elbow into Gladiolus’ solar plexus, surprising an ‘oof’ out of him, but if anything, the Shield’s grip tightened. “He’s just a kid Gladio! We can’t just leave him! 

Gladiolus picked the struggling Prompto up bodily and took several steps further down the street and around the nearest corner before putting him back down. “We don’t have a choice! The more time we spend with a body that’s not getting up again, the worse this entire shit show gets!” 

The right cross to the jaw surprised Gladiolus even more than the elbow had. His head snapped around with the force of the blow, and he automatically ran his tongue along his teeth to check if any had been loosened. His left hand flashed up to catch the next swing before it landed.

Tears obscured Prompto’s vision. “I didn’t realize Crownsguard trained to be such damned monsters, Gladio! How can you leave him to die? They surgically remove any compassion you had when they gave you your job? Would you do it if it was Ir-”

Gladiolus jerked the arm he held forward. “Don’t.”

“Oh, that hits a nerve doesn’t it? What makes him so worthless then? He’s not a noble?”

Gladiolus roared, and for one brief moment Prompto thought he was dead. Gladiolus fist crashed into the wall beside his head, close enough the crack from the shattering tile blotted out the distant sounds of battle raging. Gladiolus gripped the back of Prompto’s collar and cold amber eyes bored into his own.

“Being a noble, or even family has nothing to do with it Blondie.” He growled. “The boy is dead. There is no healer coming, because there are none left in the damned city. I used the last potion I had on a six year old an hour ago, and it wasn’t enough. Every minute we spend here, someone else is dying somewhere else because we are not there to kill these god-shat spawn and get them out. We don’t get to stop, Prom. We are the Crownsguard, and we have a duty to the King, the Crystal and the People, and I will be damned if I do any less for the people here than I would for the people of Insomnia, when they’re dying for our cause.”

Prompto wilted, and leaned forward into Gladiolus for a moment, eyes closed as he drew in a deep shuddering breath. “How do you do it? I just… I can’t…”

Gladiolus voice was quiet and rough as he wrapped Prompto up and just held on. “I just do it. If I stop, if I quit, hell, if I even hesitate, then that’s it. I’ve lost. And if I lose, then the Prince, the King, doesn’t have his Shield. And when he falls because I wasn’t there to turn the blow, we lose the last King of the Caelum bloodline. We lose the last shot we have of stopping the Starscourge. And if we can’t stop the Starscourge, everyone dies, or wishes they had. So we go forward, and yeah. People are gonna die. This is war and it fucking sucks. We save who we can. We mourn who we can’t. But. We. Do. Not. Stop.”

Letting go and taking a step back, Gladiolus looked up at the fight that was still raging between Noctis and the gargantuan goddess. “Come on Prompto. We’ve got people to save and Imperials to jack up. You good?”

Prompto shook his head. “So not good right now. Lets go.”

The smile Gladiolus gave him was mostly grimace. “That’s the spirt!” 

The two of them continued down the alley to the next street over, not returning the way they’d come by unspoken agreement. “Hey Gladio? Where’s Ignis?”

“… I don’t know.”


	4. Noctis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day at the races for Noctis and company

Noctis tightened his grip with his knees, and leaned against the pull of the corner as Boko's claws churned up the track. As soon as they cleared it and were again on the straight away he shifted back so he was square in the saddle, and loosened his hands a bit more giving the chocobo more freedom. He was immediately rewarded with a burst of speed. Boko loved to run.

This had been a good idea. It had been weeks since they had any downtime, and several frustrating and ultimately fruitless delves into the less populated areas of Duscae and Cleigne in search of hidden Royal Tombs had left the Prince and his retinue snapping at each other when they spoke and the Regalia full of cold silence for hours on end.

They'd rolled into the Outpost the night before to discover bunting and banners everywhere and flyers on all the tables advertising the races for the next few days. Wiz had talked about it as he brought out their meal, a sandwich with something new on it that had Ignis writing lists in that little notebook he always carried. "We hold these little festivals three or four times a year. Sure, it ain't as big as the fancy shindigs they got up in Lestallum but the track here is better for the birds than whatever jumped up tour they got that they call racing. We got a bunch of vendors who come set up a market and borrow a handful of caravans from nearby settlements and have ourselves a party.

"I've seen you boys playing on the circuit when you're around and you ain't half bad. You and that hen you've taken a shine to should give it a go."

They'd demurred at first, focused on the task at hand or possibly picking up a hunt or two to replenish the coffers. Wiz had gotten a sly look on his face, and leaned in a little closer. "No hunts right now fellas, we got all the immediate problems dealt with before the festival kicked off. But if you're hard up for some cash, I didn't say the races were just for braggin' rights now did I?

"There's prizes on those races boys, and they ain't too shabby. Cash purses on most of 'em, or vouchers for the local vendors that are worth a bit more in trade. You get to chose which one works best for you."

And so here Noctis was, rounding out the second of three laps past the grandstand. He couldn't pick any faces out of the crowd of cheering people, just a sea of blurred faces to his right. Somewhere in there would be the other three. A shrill whistle pierced the air, just a measure from the victory ditty from King's Knight, followed faintly by Gladiolus' voice raised in laughter at Prompto's antics. Noctis didn't hear anything from Ignis but could easily imagine the eyeroll at the other two. Wiz had been right; the break was good for them.

Another jockey took advantage of his distraction and slid between Boko and the rail, edging them out of second and into third place. With a snort, Boko clapped her beak at them, and fought the reins in an attempt to lengthen her stride further and catch up to the interloper.

Noctis tightened his grip and stood slightly in the saddle, leaning low and forward over her neck. "Shhh girl, sorry. Not yet. We can take him on the last rush." His eyes narrowed as he watched the two ahead of him run. 

The lead bird had the primary feathers along her wings dyed a vivid green, which matched both the tack and gear the jockey was wearing. The bird herself was just slightly larger than Boko, carrying more muscle. She'd proved herself faster on the sprint already, which is why she held the lead position as they entered the final lap but Noctis could see signs of strain in her pace. He was willing to bet they'd pushed a little too much, too early and wouldn't have the stamina to finish strong. 

Which left the interloper. The bird was undyed, but a quick look showed him the tack was excellent quality and the jockey's seat was practiced and easy. These were no amateurs. Noctis' lips turned up in a tight smirk. This was going to be fun. 

With half a lap to go, he gave Boko her head, and touched his heels lightly to her side. "Give 'em hell Boko!" he called, letting the reins fall mostly slack, just keeping them in hand so they stayed out of the way. He leaned in low so he was nearly lying on her neck, minimizing any drag and resistance he was causing.

"Kweh!" Finally freed to catch up with the two ahead of her, Boko's stride lengthened and she pulled her wings in even tighter, angling them up and over Noctis' legs and sides. They'd done this, practiced this in the hours and hours spent on the plains with the other three, leaving the car hidden away from prying Empire eyes and using the birds to explore and run errands across the region.

The green-edged chocobo in the lead was struggling and slowing and both Boko and the interloper took advantage to edge past them on the inside rail as the bird's exhaustion caused it to swing too wide on the final corner. Noctis tapped his heels again against Boko's sides, and the following surge in speed brought them neck and neck with the interloper. 

They thundered down the final stretch, both birds straining and reaching for the finish line. Noctis urged Boko on, using the reins sparingly to adjust her position on the track and avoid rough patches churned up by previous races. He couldn't afford to check the competition here, even so small a movement as turning his head to look could throw them off. He kept himself low and small, calling encouragements and endearments that the wind whipped away. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the jockey on the other chocobo shift. Whatever they were doing, it was a mistake. Calling it a stumble would be too much, not even a break in stride for the other bird, but it was enough. Noctis urged for a final push. Boko exploded ahead in the final yards. From eye to eye, she was ahead by a beak, a head, a neck. The flash of a flag above them, and the applause from the crowd crescendoed.

It took another half lap to get Boko slowed safely, and Noctis indulged them in completing a final victory lap arms up and laughing. The grandstands had emptied out into the commons and onto the track, and the applause and cheers as they rode into their midst were loud. 

He could hear the PA system announcing something but it was lost in the sound of the crowd. Prompto and Ignis pushed their way through the mass of people, smiling up at him. Prompto had an armful of greens and proceeded to gush at Boko, feeding the smug bird handful after handful of Gysahl Greens. "Who's the prettiest champion birdie? You are! Yes, you are!"

Ignis shook his head at Prompto's display, and turned his face upwards. "Congratulations Noct, that was masterfully done."

"Thanks Specs, but it was all Boko. You know she hates seeing tailfeathers in front of her!" Noctis kicked one foot out of the stirrups and slid to the ground. Boko fluffed up at the sound of her name, but was far more interested in Prompto now as he continued to feed her treats while he told her what a wonderful chocobo she was. "Where's Glad-"

Noctis was interrupted by large arms sweeping him up into a crushing hug from behind. "Ack! Wait, what! Put me down!" he struggled ineffectually against the embrace Gladiolus (Because of course it was Gladio) had him trapped in. He flailed his feet trying to figure out exactly how far down the ground was and wished he could warp without compromising his identity to the entire crowd around them. Gladiolus' laughter was warm and loud as he easily manhandled the Prince around, hands slapping affectionately between his shoulder blades before Gladiolus deposited him back on his feet.

Glaring up at his Shield, Noctis' expression softened slightly at the pure, unadulterated happiness on Gladiolus' face, his eyes bright and a grin stretched wide across his features. He hadn't seen him this relaxed in ages. Not since before the whole horrible ordeal began, when they were still in the Crown City and his biggest worry was whether nor not his Prince would be playing hooky from training to go to the arcade or if his sister would talk Jared into mimmett greens salad with dinner for the fourth time in a week.

Despite himself, Noctis grinned back. "What's got you so happy, big guy? The prize money on this race wasn't that big." 

If anything, Gladiolus' smile got wider. "Funny you should mention that Noct." He hefted a bag that clinked with the sound of gil, before handing it over to Ignis, who's eyebrows shot up at the weight. "Turns out when everyone thinks you're the hotshot newbie hunters in the area, who've never been seen at the race festivals before, there's no possible way you could actually win them." He dropped an arm over Noctis' shoulders and a slightly feral tinge edged into his smile. "Especially when they're up against the three-time champion and their bird. Also turns out, you can get some pretty sweet odds if you're willing to put a friendly wager or two down on that hotshot newbie hunter." The way he kept emphasizing 'hotshot newbie hunter' sounded like he was quoting someone. Probably someone who was quite a bit lighter in the pockets given the size of the bag of gil Ignis was now holding.

"Boko and jockey to the Winner's circle please! Boko and jockey to the winner's circle!" This time the PA system could be heard over the jubilant crowd. Prompto caught up Boko's reins, and while the chocobo snorted, she allowed herself to be led. Admittedly it was probably in large part due to the handful of greens Prompto continued to wave under her beak.

Noctis moved to follow, only to feel his feet leaving the ground once again unexpectedly. Stifling a yelp, he reached for something to help balance, and ended up with a fistful of Gladiolus' hair as the Shield settled him on his shoulder. "Watch the hair princess. I won't let you fall."

"Warn a guy Gladio!" Noctis let go as Gladiolus waded easily into the crowd, following Prompto and Boko towards the reviewing stand at the end of the commons with Ignis bringing up the rear. From his perch he looked out over the crowds, waving at a couple of kids who were jumping up and down at the edge of the sea of people. They giggled and waved back enthusiastically. 

They reached the clear space to find Wiz in his race day finery, holding a microphone and an absurdly large trophy cup which had a carved chocobo resting within the bowl. He held the microphone up and gestured grandly with the trophy in his other hand. "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, hunters and fans. Today is a special day in the Chocobo Outpost Racing Extravaganza. Today, we crown a new champion, a hero to the people, a prince among chocobo riders!"

A frisson of fear tingled up Noctis' spine at the word "prince" and he stiffened. Wiz had never let on that he knew who the quartet of hunters who came by perhaps a little more frequently than hunts warranted were, and had always treated them with an easy camaraderie. A large part of their safety lay in anonymity as they crisscrossed Lucius in search of the Royal Arms and even then, it only took them so far. It was blindingly obvious that the Empire knew the Regalia, and their frequent new paint jobs only helped them for so long before the dropships were again making things difficult. If they were outed now before this crowd as the missing Prince and his entourage, their life was about to get a whole lot more perilous.

"Many of you are familiar with this young man and his three friends." Wiz continued. "Whether they've helped you with a difficult bounty that'd been languishing on your boards, bringing much needed closure to a lost hunter's family, or even just as simple as a desperately required repair kit on a stretch of lonely road as night rolled in. The four of them have made themselves welcome throughout Lucius. But today, we've learned something new, something exciting about our mysterious hunters!"

Noctis tapped Gladiolus' arm in warning and slid down from his shoulder. He didn't dare look at the expression on his companions faces or he'd lose his own composure as he pasted a happy, carefree smile on his face, masking the turmoil underneath it. Leaning heavily on his experience being always in the public eye in the Crown City, he waved in acknowledgement to the crowd as he strode forward.

Wiz smiled broadly and swept the trophy around again. "Today we have learned, that this young man is a true Champion, and it has been our privilege and honor to crown this man here as this years 'King of the Races!' Congratulations Noct Gar, you deserve this." he placed the microphone on the stand and moved to meet Noctis as he came forward, handing him the trophy.

In that moment, Noctis knew. Still smiling, he clasped hands with Wiz and as he reached forward to accept the trophy he breathed quietly. "You sir, are a giant troll. When did you know?"

His left eye dropping into a barely there wink, Wiz handed him the trophy and murmured "Not everyone in the sticks ignored news outta the capital. You'd be surprised how many people know, 'Noct Gar.'" he reached for Noctis wrist, and held his hand with the trophy up over his head, and the crowd roared their approval.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed something a little lighter after the last one, I don't know about anyone else.

**Author's Note:**

> I powered through the game in about two weeks, covering a lot of the sidequests, plot points and so on. I came out of it simultaneously loving Gladio, and hating the bizarre inconsistencies in his character. He's an adorable, occasionally emotionally stunted mountain of a man, but could they have least made him a consistent adorable emotionally stunted mountain of a man? I'm slowly talking myself into writing more fiction in this universe, admittedly Gladio-centric, although I will admit to a Prompto fic that won't leave my brainpan alone... we'll see what the future brings. For now, enjoy!


End file.
